Uo model



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

A. E. SEXTON.

WEB INTERLAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Ljazljfar @AHQM Q S PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

A. E. SEXTON. WEB INTERLAGING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 7, 1903.

' 4 SHEETSSH.EET 2.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

A. E. SEXTON.

WEB INTERLAGING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 7. 1903.

4 SHEBTS-SHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

Wiig'zsses No. 770,508. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. A. E. SBXTON.

WEB INTERLAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. 1903.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-GREEK 4.

UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT ()FFICE.

ARTHUR E. SEXTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SINGLE-SHEETPAPER COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

WEB-INTERLAOING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,508, datedSeptember 20, 1904.

Application filed March '7, 1903. Serial No. 146,733. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. SEXToN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Web-Interlacing Machine, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for theformation of strips of paper and similar material into webs in which thestrips are interfolded, the fold-lines of the sheets being disposed inopposite directions.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein anumber of comparatively small Webs each comprising siX or seven or anyother desired number of strips may be assembled together by interfoldingthe outer leaves of the outer strips of two or more webs, and thus folda series of interfolded strips in the form of a web of any desiredthickness, so that full packages of the finished product may be formedby severing the web into short sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanismfor accomplishing this interfolding operation in which the provision ismade for taking up any slack clue to twisting or bending of the web orwebs while the latter are being introduced into the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter with means for allowing constant inspection of the operationboth from the upper and lower sides of the webs being interfolded, thearrangement being such as to call the operators attention to any part ofthe machine where the interfolding operation is incomplete.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a paper-foldingmachine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of the same. Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 aredetail sectional views of portions of the machine on the lines 3 3, 4 4,and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 1, the views being taken in thedirections indicated by the arrows. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detailperspective views of portions of the folding'or strip-guiding devices.Figs. 9 and 10 are views illustrating the arrangement of the indicatingdevices disposed at the entrance ends of the guides, these beingnormally covered by the strips of material being folded, but whenexposed by tearing or disarrangement of the material being reflected toa mirror in view of the operator. Figs. 11 and 12 are views, partly inthe nature of diagrams, of of a system of mirrors. Fig. 13 is a detailview of the form of mirror-mounting which may be employed. Figs. 14 to19 are diagrams illustrating successive steps in the interlacingoperation.

Similar characters of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings. v

The present invention aims to improve the construction of mechanismemployed for the production of strips or sheets of interfolded paper fortoilet and other purposes, the finished product being in the form ofsheets of paper each bent or folded to form two leaves and each leaf ofeach of the sheets being interfolded between the two leaves of theadjoining sheets, so that when one sheet is withdrawn from a box orother containing device the next interfolded sheet will be partly drawnthrough the discharge slot or opening in convenient position to begrasped and removed at the next operation. In the manufacture ofpackages of paper of this character there is little or no difliculty infolding a small number of strips together for the formation of a web,the term web being here used as a matter of convenience and designatinga plurality of interfolding strips or ribbons of paper. When these smallwebs are assembled together to form a web of a thickness equal to thefinished packages, the operation is accomplished at the expense ofconsiderable time and labor, and up to the present time it has beenfound impracticable to manufacture a single web of the requiredthickness at one operation. The present machine therefore is designedmore particularly for the formation of one thick or great web from aplurality of previously-folded smaller webs, and the mechanism is soarranged as to interfold the outer leaves of the outer strips of anydesired number of webs.

The frame of the machine is of any suitable height and supports theseveral folding devices, these extending in substantially ra-v diallines from a pair of feeding reels or rollers 10 to points adjacent toguiding-wheels 11. The guiding-wheels 11 are in the form of star-wheelsand are loosely mounted on spindles 12, adapted to brackets 13, carriedby the frame of the machine. These several star-wheels are so arrangedthat their upper portions shall be approximately in the same horizontalplane with an arcuate plate 14, forming a supporting-bridge by which thewebs of paper or other material are guided from the wheels to thefolding devices. The end of the web 00 is carried up from any suitablesource of supply, such as receiving-bin or from a strip-folding machinedisposed at a lower level, and turned on its side to a horizontalposition over the star-wheels and then drawn across the .supportingplate or bridge 14. In this supporting-plate there is a slight twist,which at the discharge end of the bridge is disposed at an angle ofabout ten degrees from the horizontal, which brings the web into properposition for entrance into the guides orfolding devices.

During turning movement of a comparatively thick web comprising, say,forty or fifty interfolded strips there is danger of the lower orinnermost layers buckling or crimping if turned over an ordinary rollerand its direction changed from a vertical to an approximately horizontalposition. This natural .buckling of the paper would naturally tend toforce the layers nearest the roller downward or backward on the verticalportion of the web, and thus disarrange the sheets. To overcome thisdifficulty, the star-wheels areemployed, and the layers of paper incontact with the star-wheels will bridge from point to point, and therecesses between the points will allow the paper to bend freely, andthus gather up the slack and forward the same through the horizontal runof the web, and there will be no tendency to accumulate slack anddisarrange the layers.

Each of the interfolding mechanisms for engagement with a web comprisesthree plates 15, 16, and 17, and as the construction of the similarmembers of each set is precisely the same a description of one set willbe suflicient to correctly understand the invention. The plate 15. whichis preferably formed of athin strip of galvanized iron, is of greaterwidth at one end than at the other, and one edge of said strip is turnedor bent at a right angle to the main body of the strip, as indicated at15, the flange thus formed being in an approximately vertical positionor at about ten degrees from the vertical position at the supporting orbridge plate 14:, while at thedischarge end adjacent to the reels ordrawingrollers 10 these flanges assume the nearly horizontal position,as indicated in Fig. 5, the stripbeing twisted throughout its entirelength in order that the web of paper guided thereby may be graduallyturned from horizontal to the vertical position. Above the guide-plate15 is mounted a second guidingstrip 16, the latter being secured at oneedge only to the strip 15 and mounted slightly above and parallel withsaid strip 15, so as to form acontracted passage for the lower leaf y ofthe web of paper, and this strip .16 extends parallel with the strip 15throughout a part of the length of the former in order that the lower'leaf y of each web may be properly guided to a position under the upperleaf z of the next adjacent web, and so on throughout the whole width ofthe machine. Above the guiding-plate 16 is mounted the thirdguidingplate 17 said plate serving as a convenient means of support forthe leaf next to the lowermost leaf of each web and forming agradually-contracted space for the reception of the upper leaf of thenext adjoining web. The

strip 15 extends over the flange 15 of the next adjacent strip and issecured thereto,

and all of said strips are gradually twisted, so that starting in anapproximately horizontal position at the feed end of the plates the webswill be gradually turned until they assume a substantially verticalposition and are interfolded or interlaced, so as to form one large webof a thickness equal to that of the finished bundles, and to completethe bundling operation it is merely necessary to sever this thick webinto short sections. The upper plate 17 is strengthened by the formationof a flange 17 at one edge thereof, and said flange is suspended inposition by hangers depending from the supporting-bar 20.

When the paper leaves the ends of the guiding-plates, the severalmembers which go to form the finished web are disposed at a slight angleto the vertical, but between the dischager end and the rolls or reels 10are turned to a vertical position and pass between said rolls or reels.The reels 10 are formed of a series of spaced rods held in positionbyupper enlarged disks, there beinga suflicie'nt space between them toallow the passage of the convergent interlaced or interfolded webs whichgo to make up the finished great web. These reels may be driven in anysuitable manner in order to assist in drawing the several small webs ofpaper through the guide-plates and avoid the necessity'of employingfixed guides, which would result in considerable friction on the outerfaces of the great web and impair the work of the machine. They furtherpossess advantages over solid cylindrical rollers in that free movementispermitted in order to allow any of the sheets or strips which may havebeen puckered or wrinkled to reassume proper position. This completesthe folding operation, and the thick or great web is then ready to becut into small sections for the formation of the finished packages.

In the operation of this machine, especially where strips of thin andeasily-torn paper are being folded, it becomes necessary to closelywatch the operation in order that in the event of breakage or tearing ofany one strip or the disarrangement of said strip from its properposition in the guides the operator nay either stop the machine orguidethe strip to its proper position. Ina large machine, such as it isproposed to employ for the production of webs of great thickness, itbecomes impossible for a single operator to closely watch all of thestrips and strip-guides, and to lessenthe liability of accidentI providemeans whereby the existence of a tear or disarrangement of the paper thefact is instantly signaled to the operator stationed at about X of Fig.1, the signal also giving the exact location of the irregularity.

On the upper surface of each of the guides 15 at a point near theunflanged edge is placed a suitable indicating-mark, such as a numeral,or I may employ any other marks having similar relations, such asletters of the alphabet. The surface of the guiding-strip is preferablypainted black, and the distinguishing characters are of a contrastingcolor and arranged in proper order from one side of the machine to theother. The characters are so fixed that when that portion of the webpassing over the guide is in normal position the characters will becovered; but in case a strip is torn or disarranged the character isexposed. Immediately over each of the numerals or other characters andsupported by a suitable adjustable bracket is a mirror 22. These mirrorsare so adjusted adjacent to the several guides that the numerals will bereflected to a convex mirror 23, arranged near the discharge end of themachine, and are thence reflected to a mirror 24:, where they may beobserved by an attendant stationed at X, Fig. 1. The'mirrors 22 arepreferably curved in the same manner as the well-knowndistorting-mirrors in order to increase the size of the numeralreflected, and thus more quickly attract attention. The

final telltale-mirror 24 may be comparatively small and the convexmirror 23 so arranged that all of the numerals will be reflected to acommon'poi'nt in the telltale, so that if the operators attention isattracted by any number or numbers reflected in the mirror he mayinstantly stop the machine and ascertain the location of the trouble. Insome cases, however, the telltale-mirror may be of suflicient size andof such character that the several numerals, if all are exposed, will bereflected in consecutive order, following one another across the wholewidth of the mirror. If one or two or more numerals are exposed byaccidental tearing or disarrangement of the paper, said numerals will.be immediately reflected in their proper positions in the mirror tothus notify the attendant of the exact location of the torn ordisarranged strip. In order to provide for a similar exposure of theposition of the lower folds or leaves of each of the webs, the undersurface of each guideplate 16 is provided with a blackened portion, andon these are marked similar indicating characters in contrasting color,said indicat' ing characters being arranged directly opposite openings25, formed in the guiding-strips 15. Under each of the openings isplaced an adjustable mirror 26, preferably also of the distorting type,which reflects the adjacent character to a mirror 27, and from thence isagain reflected to the mirror 24 in view of the operator. Thisarrangement permits of constant inspection of the folding operation, andthe operator is not only able to detect at a glance any failure on thepart of any one of the strips, but may also determine by the numeral orother character the exact location of the trouble. For convenience it ispreferred that the numerals of the upper and lower sets, respectively,shall be of different color and reflected, respectively, in upper andlower rows in the common mirror 24:.

While the telltale-mirror is preferably disposed at the point indicatedin order that the operator may also view the complete operation of themachine without turning, it will be understood that such mirror ormirrors may be placed at any other convenient point Without departingfrom the invention.

In some cases it will be unnecessary to employ the arcuate bridge-piecebetween the star-wheels and the entrance to the guides, and it will beunderstood that this feature may be dispensed with without departingfrom the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In amachinefor interlacing strips, a plurality of guides arranged in convergentlines at their discharge ends, 'each guide being twisted to graduallyalter the positions of the strips.

2. A device for interengaging previouslyfolded strips, includingconvergent stripguides adapted toengageand partly open the folds of saidstrips and to direct the same into interfolded position.

ing guides adapted to direct previously-folded strips into engagementwith each other and to partly open the folds thereof preliminary totheir engagement with each other, and means for causing the strips topass through said guides.

4. In a device of the class specified, a plurality of convergent guidesadapted to engage and partly open previously-folded strips, said guidesbeing so disposed as to gradually change the angle of the strips and tointerfold the same in the form ofa web.

5. In a device of the class specified, a plurality of sets of convergentguiding-strips adapted to engage with a plurality of webs each formed ofa number of previously-interfolded strips of material, saidguiding-strips being partly twisted to change the angle of the materialfrom an approximately horizontal plane to an approximately verticalplane as they near the point of convergence.

6. In a device of the class specified, a plurality of sets of convergentstrip-guides adapted to engage with webs each formed of a plurality ofpreviously-interfolded strips, each set of guides comprising aweb-support, and means for engaging with the outermost folds of thewebs, the guides being convergent and adapted to direct the outermostfolds into engagement with each other.

7. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a pluralityof sets of convergent strip-engaging guides, each set of guides beinggradually narrowed or tapered from the feed to the discharge end andbeing twistedto gradually lessen the angle of the strips as they passthrough the guides.

8. In a device of the class specified, a plurality of convergentstrip-engaging guides, each guide including a plurality ofstrip-engaging plates tapering in width from end to end and disposed inapproximately parallel relation, said plates being gradually twisted sothat their two end portions shall be approximately at a right angle toeach other.

9. In a device of the class specified, a plurality of sets of convergentstrip-engaging guides, each set comprising a lower plate having anangular flange at one side, a second plate disposed above the first andslightly spaced therefrom to permit the entrance of the lowermost foldof a web of material, and an upper strip slightly spaced above thesecond strip and forming a support for the main body of the web.

10. In a device of the class specified, the combination with convergentstrip-engaging guides, of loosely-mounted wheels adapted for engagementwith the material to be folded, the peripheral portions of the Wheelbeing recessed for the reception of slack in said material.

11. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a pluralityof sets of convergent strip-engaging guides, of looselymountedstar-wheels for preliminary engagement with the strips of material to beacted upon.

12. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a pluralityof sets of convergent strip-engaging guides, of recessed wheels forpreliminary. engagement with the strips, and astationary table disposedbetween the wheels and the guides and serving to partly change the angleat which the strip is present ed to said guides.

13. In a device of the class specified, the

combination with a plurality of convergent strip-engaging guides, of apair of reels having spaced bars or teeth for engaging the materialafter it is drawn through the guides.

14. In a device of the class specified, the combination with thestrip-engaging guides having distinguishing-marks, of a plurality ofmirrors for reflecting the mark when exposed to a common visual point.

15. In a device of the class specified, th combination with a pluralityof strip-engaging guides each bearing a designating-mark, an operatorsmirror, and a plurality of spaced mirrorsadjusted to reflect all of saidmarks when exposed into the operators mirror.

16. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a pluralityof convergent strip-engaging'guides each bearing a designating-marknormally covered by a portion of the strip to be folded, a mirrordisposed adjacentto the designating-mark of each guide, a convex mirrorinto which the reflections of all the small mirrors are focused, and anoperators mirror within convenient distance of the operator and intowhich all of the exposed characters are again reflected.

17 In a device of the class specified, the combination with strip-guideshaving distinguishing-marks, of mirrors for reflecting said marks to apoint within view of an operator or attendant.

In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR E. SEXTON.

Witnesses:

J. Ross Common, 0. .E. DOYLE.

